A super easy lunch recipe ready in minutes, this Avocado Tuna Salad will quickly become a lunch staple. Swap the mayo for avocado in this healthy lunch recipe!
I read A LOT of blogs. I read them for enjoyment, I read them for inspiration and some I hate-read to remind myself of everything I don’t want to be as a blogger (truth!). There are trends and cliques and a bajillion surveys. Sometimes I feel like I’m in high school again. Good thing I loved high school….
A common trend amongst bloggers is talking about how a recipe they’ve posted is actually something they eat very frequently, and they don’t know why it’s taken them so long to post it. This is precisely what I am doing today. This avocado tuna salad is made at least once a week in my home. I love it, C loves it, it’s delicious and easy and CHEAP.
Well, minus the avocados which for some reason tend to be pricey around here. And here’s the thing, if I’m gonna be spending a whole $3.00 on an avo it better be perfect. This means it is necessary that I touch every single avocado until I’ve found one which I am prepared to buy. Apparently this is a no-no with my homeboys at the grocery store. Not once, but twice I have been told to “stop feeling up all the avocados.” I’m pretty sure the second time he was joking (same guy) but I was not laughing. If I wanna molest all the damn avocados then let me!
More than anything, I’m just disappointed. When Lee is busy, I find myself co-workerless so sometimes I pretend my “friends” at the grocery store are actually my co-workers. I probably chat them up a little too much and definitely come across to the cashier as being slightly over-enthusiastic about my produce. It’s not my fault I live on the internet and have no human interaction!!!! <–jeeeeze I’m dramatic.
So in order to make the most popular recipe in my household, I am forced to hide from the avocado police and check their ripeness in secret. It’s a stressful experience but worth it for this absolutely scrumptious avocado tuna salad.
Cook time:
Total time:
Serving size: 4-6
- 2 cans of flaked light tuna
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 red apple, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
- 1 T pickle juice (or water-if using increase salt slightly)
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- salt and pepper, to taste
- In a large bowl, mash up avocado with the back of a fork or potato masher.
- Add in tuna, celery, red onion, apple and walnuts. Mix well.
- Add in pickle juice, dried dill, dijon, cumin and salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Serve on bread, top on salad or eat plain.
- Will keep up to 1 week in refrigerator.
Like this recipe? Check out some of my other easy lunch recipes.
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- Pesto Egg Salad
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- Thai Salmon Salad
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- Honey Garlic Chicken & Chickpea Salad
Have you met the avocado police? What trends have you seen in the blogging world?
p.s. Happy Mother’s Day!
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Hit the nail on the head. I hate read your blog.
Blogging really is like high school, especially when other bloggers make it a huge deal of removing you off their instagram, twitter and facebook- it’s actually quite humorous and showcases their insecurities and childish nature!
This salad, your salmon salad and meat and potatoes and cauliflower for dinner? Your like a less hot version of me.
Arman @ thebigmansworld recently posted…Spill it, Sundays #24- The Angela Edition
Seriously you two need to come under my rock. I don’t ever notice all this crazy high school stuff you mention in the blog world. I’m kind of glad too. Although I did get my first follow for follow on IG the other day. I guess it means I’m big time now (snort!).
I say feel up all the avocados you want. It’s your world, or at least your produce.
Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets recently posted…Ramp Risotto with Pine Nuts
Wow, I randomly read through some of the comments associated with this awesome recipe and holy cow that’s a whole lot of conversation about high school. Lol If someone wants to offer me a terrific new recipe and she/he has a funny story that goes along with it’s creation … well, so be it. All I have to say is, thanks Davida for a cool new twist on my tired old tuna salad. You’re the best.
PS Suggestion: Next time, do a tutorial on how to pick the best avocados and put every sexual innuendo in it that you can think of, I’ll read it twice and laugh. That will shut those sour pusses up. Rock on girl!
I’ll have to work this into my lunch rotation. My go-to tuna is a hickory smoked concoction I pulled together modeled after some I used to get from a deli in NYC. It has pickle relish in it.
Ha- I totally notice some of the high school aspect in the blog world. In fact, life is always like high school. When I had my son I was amused that the moms still felt like being childish and cliquey. I have no patience for that. Been there, done it. Over it. What I am not over is avocado. Love. I mash my chick peas and avocado basically every day during the week for lunch. On top of really toasted cinnamon raisin bread. Yum.
meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles recently posted…Happy Mother’s Day And Banana Bread Mini Muffins
This looks so delicious! Total yum alert 😉
I agree with the high school thing. And I read so many blogs, hundreds, all for the same reasons you do. Some I just love, some are favorites I have been reading everyday for years, some I just stop by once in awhile, and some I hate-read too!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Friday Finisher 5/9/14
there are some blogs that baffles me and yes they are kind of hate-read..i have been meaning to make tuna salad but never did but now i will because guess what avocados are only $1 each or even less sometimes here.. reason # 1 for you to move here. i do feel my avocaodos before bringing them home because there has been times they were rotten and i was furious to see them go.
Thankfully I have not been accosted by the avocado police – avocados are cheap in my neck of the woods- at Costco, a bag of 6 are $5!!! Mostly the green ones I dont even touch, but the darker ones I do – at Costco, the are mostly all green, but in 4-5 days they are perfect…just gotta be prepared for that and stock up early.
This tuna salad sounds pretty fab, Davida! The apples and walnuts and pickle juice so have my curiosity piqued! And yay-no mayo!!!! I so wanna make this and trick my daughter into eating it, she always says she hates avocados, but when I sneak them into baked products, she hardly even notices-thanks for sharing this one!!
The things we do for perfect avocados…although I’ve never been accosted by avocado police, thankfully. And tuna sandwiches are awesome – tuna melts are pretty common around here. I’ve never mixed it with avocado though – that’s brilliant!
Sam @ Better With Sprinkles recently posted…Weekly Eats & Workouts + Spill It Sunday 05/11.
Ahh yes. The hunt for the perfect avocado….molestation of the avocados is necessary.
Being a high schooler still, I can see some of the similarities between the high school and the blogging world. Sometimes the blog world is more classy than high school, and other times I think this about the blog world: Are we five right now?! But I love it nevertheless. I get to make fun of people in my head anyway. 😉
Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves recently posted…Love You, Ma
I hope you don’t read my blog just to remind you of how weird people are, and that you indeed are normal while I am not!! HAHA I love avocado..it’s my jam. Or my spread, or..my fat? I don’t know..it’s effing delicious.
Brittany recently posted…Gluten & Dairy Free Carb Loading
This looks really yummy. I’m also guilty of hate-reading some blogs! Oops!
Heather @ Run Like a G! recently posted…I am MARATHON AGE!!!!
I guess we forget about posting what we eat most often since it doesn’t seem as exciting to us! That being said, this looks great! I love using avocado to replace mayo in tuna salads
So yum!
Melissa @ Nourish By Melissa recently posted…White Bean Cinnamon Cookies {High Protein, Low Fat, Gluten/Dairy Free!}
Wait, are you not supposed to feel up all the avocados? Good thing we don’t have avocado police at my grocery store because I am allll up in that avocado pile.
Tuna fish is weirdly the very last meat that I gave up, and I really really wish someone had mashed some avo in it! Now I make avocado egg salad and that’s perfectly delicious.
I’ve detached myself a bit from the blogging world lately. I’ve found that having a little more distance does me good. I read my favorite blogs, but I’m trying to be less in tune with the trends. I think it’s helping me find the balance between being part of the community and being consumed by it, if that makes any sense.
Kim @ BusyBod recently posted…Meals & workouts for graduation & moving week!
I have to admit I’m a creature of habit and eat the same things a lot. I’m so busy though and never home except the weekends. During the week I’m up at 4:30 so I can workout by 5, off to work by 7:15 then home from work by 6:30-7 (traffic). I don’t have time to mess with thinking about what I’m eating. I have to prep it on the weekends and make it last through the week. In many ways, starting my blog and reading other blogs has helped me venture out of my comfort zone and try other delicious foods that I never would have tried before. Love this recipe by the way! I eat tuna almost everyday. Mixing avocado with it is genius!
Megan @ The Skinny-Life recently posted…5/11/14 Sunday Funday
I feel ya with the avocados. Those babies are expensive! The other day Matt brought home a dud and I was genuinely upset about it. As for this tuna salad, it looks amazing! I make tuna salad all the time but never thought to add in avocado. Can’t wait to try it.
Lindsay @ Shiny Love Affair recently posted…Half Marathon Playlist
$3 for an avo is craziness! But then again, I may just be a spoiled Californian…
Gosh I hope you don’t hate-read my blog!!! 😉
Nicole @ Foodie Loves Fitness recently posted…Kiss Me Organics Matcha Green Tea Powder
Lol at what you said about hate reading some blogs – so true! I don’t really notice that much drama in the blog world, but I can definitely sense it’s out there. I’d rather just stay out of it and hear about it through the grapevine… I like my regular dose of gossip as much as the next person. 😉
Anyway, I’m glad you finally got around to posting this – it looks fantastic!
Chelsea @ Chelsea’s Healthy Kitchen recently posted…Mustard Seed
I’m picky with choosing my avocados too! If I’m paying for them, then I have the right to be picky! Luckily I’ve never been approached by the avocado police before! lol
Anyway, this tuna salad looks delicious! I like how you use toasted walnuts. I’ve never tried that with my tuna salad before. Great idea!
Polly @ Tasty Food Project recently posted…Friday Favorites! Edition 4
I LOVE avacado! I am currently in an aggressive avacado obsession :p
I don’t love tuna salad but maybe if I mix it with avacodo I’ll like it!? Great idea
Karen @karenlovestorun
Karen Loves to Run (@karenlovestorun) recently posted…Coffee Date
I do the EXACT same thing with avocados. Looks like you found the perfect one b/c this sammie looks so so yummy!
Erin | The Law Student’s Wife recently posted…Mediterranean Roasted Vegetable and Chickpea Salad
Ermygerd I would cry if avos were three dollars AND I’d be poor. This tuna looks so freaking good because 1) I adore tuna (what jew doesn’t) and 2) I adore avocado. Match made in heaven gurrrllll!!!
I love tuna salad! I’ve added peas, but never avocados. This is happening. Like, today. I’m picky about avocados too!
So… Do you hate read my blog? LMFAO!
PS: Pickle Juice = BOOB GROWER!!!!!! My boobs are small as hell because I do not drink pickle juice, but perhaps I need to change this, NOWWWW!
GiGi Eats Celebrities recently posted…Serving Up Flex Tacos and Key Lime Pie Man-garitas
That’s interesting that you read blogs that you’re not a fan of…I don’t think I can be bothered.
I may have mentioned this before but my hubby and I have been obsessed with avocado lately. I keep finding ways to eat it, or simply eat it alone. This sandwich is awesome! It looks delicious! I love that there is no mayo because some of my family doesn’t like it, so this is a great alternative.
Tina @ Tina’s Chic Corner recently posted…Sesame Crusted Tofu With Peppers And Onions In A Spicy Peanut Sauce
hate read? haha, i need to see if i do this. I’m a blonde and so oblivious! but not when it comes to avocado. I ve actually baked them to ripen faster because i’m impatient.
lindsay recently posted…Are You a Health Blog Junkie?
THREE DOLLARS for an avocado!?!?!?!? I literally just fainted. One perk of living West Coast style is avos are between 50 cents to 1 dollar depending on how high-end your grocery store is! And let’s be honest I’m poor so I’m at Food City for the 50 cent deals!
Paige@FitNotFad recently posted…A Marvelous D.C. Trip Recap
Def had poor-girl’s tuna salad wrap for lunch (i.e. I was too lazy to make tuna salad so I used a seasoned and probably processed tuna packet, avo and my new fancy-dance mustard). Also that’s super rude of the avo police. Maybe they shouldn’t sell crappy avocados if they don’t want people feeling them up.
Cassie recently posted…Gluten Free Bagels with Chocolate Almond Cream Cheese [Product Review]
My hubs loves tuna salad so I can’t wait to give this one a try!
Last summer I started putting avocados in my tuna – best thing ever!!! I don’t usually make a sandwich with it – just use some crackers. Now I think I need to go to the store so I can make some of this.
Kim recently posted…Super Easy Chicken Soft Tacos
I’ve semi-noticed some of the high school ness in the blog world, but I’ve decided just to carry on being me. Ain’t nobody got time fo dat stuff
Your sammich?! Looks ridic. Like, seriously. Why haven’t I ever thought of avo + tuna before?!
Ange @ Cowgirl Runs recently posted…Mail and Birthday Treats
This looks amazing! Thanks. I am bookmarking and going to make soon! This is a great idea since I never have mayo in the house. How long does it keep if in the fridge?
Meagan recently posted…Protein Balls 1.0. (Cinnamon Almond).
Great recipe! Second time round that I made this for a quick lunch today! Thank for sharing it!
So happy you liked it!!!
Looks tasty. I stumbled across this by accident last week. I put avocado in my tuna in place of mayo so that I could hide it to get my son to eat the avocado. LOL. I never thought of adding walnuts, cumin or pickle juice though. I’ll have to give that a try next time.
Erica Brooks recently posted…Let’s Talk Health: Essential Rewards 101
What a great twist to an old standby. Creative, and can’t wait to try it. Regarding the “molestation “of the avocado, please don’t it is unnecessary. Buy your avocados (hass) bight green and firm. Let them sit for two to three days at room temperature, or when the skin of avocado turns dark green. Squeezing of avocados causes bruises giving way to dark spots to the meat of the avocado.
Hi Davida, I really liked your Avocado Tuna Salad. I never thought that avocado and tuna are great combination. I already tried it a while ago and my entire family liked it as well. I’ll definitely try this out again this coming weekend. Thanks for the inspiration.
Aw thank you! I’m so happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed it. It’s a staple in my home!
I used caper juice instead of pickle juice and added a tablespoon of capers and a tablespoon of lemon juice. THIS IS SO GOOD!! Will be my go-to recipe for tuna salad now 😀
Hi I was wondering how you managed to get this so green?
Tuna being brown and avocado going brown when exposed to air….food dye?
Hey just a quick question. I made a halved simplified version of this for lunch (and ate all of it) So delicious!! But am wanting to make it again closer to your recipe. However, one thing I HATE is brown avocado, so how well does this really keep in the fridge? Does the avocado turn brown??
And sorry avocados are expensive where you are! Just one more thing I <3 about living in Texas. I picked some small ones up the other day for $0.68/each!
Jennifer recently posted…11 Things About Acne-Prone and Sensitive Skin I Wish I Would have Known in High School
Mine has never turned brown! One trick is to save the pit and stick it in the container. It helps to make sure it stays green
Glad you enjoyed!
We’re loving this! .. and equally the very honest and funny write up that follows.
This sounds great! Thanks for the recipe. What size can of tuna are you referring to? I’m from Australia and we get little single serve cans that are 95g (3.5 oz) or larger 210g size (just over 7 oz). Really looking forward to trying this.
They’re typically 5 ounces here so you’ll likely have to use the 7 ounce and just use slightly more of each ingredient. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks! Will play with quantities. My mouth is watering at the combination of ingredients
rica y saludables
SO GOOD. omg the best. tastes amazing. thank you so much!!
So happy to hear that! It’s a fun twist on usual tuna salad
Right on! It IS lonely here in blogland for sure. I make virtual friends and grocery store friends for my sanity. And, I try also to not judge the others – room for all kinds!!!
This is a great recipe. Really delicious and my 5 year old ate it. Thanks!
Awesome! So happy to hear it
This is a delicious recipe, however for personal preferences I will tweak it a little next time. I think I’ll use twice as much avocado and half as much onion and apple, just because those are my personal preferences. It was delicious with rice chips, thanks for the recipe, in fact I’m going to have some for lunch today
I’ve been meaning to make this for weeks now, and I finally got around to it! So now I write my experience-review with frozen fingers, for it’s on the verge of freezing outside and the heat here is out. We had a space heater, but its owner took it away hours ago… Anyway, part of why this took me so long to make is that it seemed like it’d be a lot more work than it was. Chopping stuff, in my head, means a serious investment of time. Add that to toasting walnuts… (I had to look up instructions.) But I finally got around to it. My boyfriend was bedridden from illness, so what better time? I thought I’d be clever and put this all together in the container I meant to store it in, but this made way more than I expected! Of course, I also used a ginormous avocado… I’m sure that didn’t help. lol So I had to transfer everything to a mixing bowl after throwing in the onions and whatnot. I lost a few pieces in the process, but no big deal really. It was a relatively painless process to put this together, even with the toasting and chopping, and I’m not sure what I think about the end-result. I love the variety of texture from the walnuts, apple, and celery. Maybe I’m not adding enough to my sandwiches, though, ’cause it seems kind of bland… Or maybe it’s because my avocado was kind of underripe? I figured that would only make it harder to mash up, but maybe that makes for a weaker taste, too? I’m not all that experienced with these guys, so I just dunno… I’ve been eating this on whole wheat buns with a ton of baby spinach. Love the nutrition it gives me if nothing else! Thanks so much for the recipe.
This was so yummy and an easy, heathy post workout meal. Thanks!
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed
I can’t stand mayonaise so this Avocado Tuna salad is definitely something I’d really like. I pinned it for later.
Shelly recently posted…Doritos Taco Salad Recipe
A long time since you posted this but I just wanted to say that I’ve just made this recipe and it’s my first time eating avocado. It’s absolutely delicious! I omitted a few things based on availability and it was still wonderful. Thanks a lot for this!
Aw I’m so happy to hear that! Glad you enjoy it!
Tuna and avocado go together so well! I do a very similar version of this but with red salmon and capers. A great healthy and filling lunch.
Suzy recently posted…Top Reasons For Moving to New Zealand
I totally agree! So delicious!
Thanks for taking the time to post. It’s lifted the level of debate
LOVE THIS RECIPE!!!just wondering though, how many calories is a serving of the tuna avocado salad?
Hi Davida, I was looking at your deodorant recipe and somehow stumbled upon this. OMG it sounds so good! Since the holidays started I’ve been eating like a little piggy but have a goal to eat healthier and do more yoga in 17
Thanks for a great blog!! Just signed up.
Happy New Year
Such an easy and simple recipe! I know you’ll love it. Enjoy!